Pumpkin carving has long been one of the several ways in which Halloween is celebrated. Traditionally, pumpkin carving involves the removal of a portion of the pumpkin shell surrounding the stem, removal of the seeds and fibers contained in the pumpkin and carving humorous, grotesque or other decorative features in the pumpkin shell by removing fleshy portions of the shell to obtain the desired appearance. Internal illumination is then provided by a candle. This illumination results in a glowing decorative pattern.
Carved pumpkins are often placed on display indoors or outdoors during the days surrounding Halloween. It is generally desired that such a carved pumpkin will maintain its appearance for a significant time period. One problem with preserving the appearance of a carved pumpkin is that, over time, the fleshy shell of a carved pumpkin will degrade from the effects of environmental factors acting upon it. A carved pumpkin may dry out over time, causing the shell to shrink and the design carved therein to become warped. Mildew, mold and fungus may begin to grow thereupon, causing further degradation and an unsightly appearance, as well as creating difficulties in disposing of the degraded pumpkin shell. Further, outdoor temperature fluctuations can cause periodic freezing and thawing of the pumpkin shell, which can rapidly break down cell material, causing additional degradation and detriment to the appearance of the carved pumpkin. It should be noted that other vegetables (such as squash), as well as fruit, which may also be hollowed out and carved into decorative configurations, can be subject to similar environmental degradation.
An attempt to solve the problem of carved pumpkin degradation is found in the Pumpkin Dunk'N.RTM. product, patent pending, produced by Concept Marketing, P.O. Box 1705, Santa Rosa, Calif. 95402. This product utilizes a chemical mixture of calcium hydroxide and sodium tetraborate pentahydrate as a pickling agent and fungicide. The pumpkin to be preserved must--after cleaning out the pumpkin interior but before carving the pumpkin--be initially submerged for a period of 12 to 24 hours in a solution of the chemical mixture and water. After this period, the pumpkin must be washed and then carved into the configuration desired. Within two days subsequent to carving the pumpkin, it must again be immersed in the solution for 4 to 8 hours. The pumpkin must thereafter be immersed in the solution for at least four hours every 3 days, in order to maintain the preservation.
A number of problems with such a product become apparent. First, the active chemical of the product, sodium tetraborate pentahydrate, can be very toxic. Ingestion of 5 to 10 grams of sodium tetraborate pentahydrate "by young children can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, shock, death." See Budavari et al., The Merck Index, Merck & Co., Inc., 11.sup. th Ed., p. 1358, 1989, citing R. E. Gosselin et al., Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products, William & Wilkins, Baltimore, 4.sup.th Ed., 1976. It is contemplated that the carving of pumpkins, and accordingly the preservation thereof, might be conducted by families and in the presence of small children. It would be undesirable to use such a product in a manner wherein small children might obtain access thereto.
Second, the method proposed for using the product requires repeatedly immersing the pumpkin in 3 gallons of the prepared solution over a substantial period of time. Because the entire contents of the product make only 3 gallons of solution, it is contemplated that users of the product will be required to store the solution in or around their household over a period of time. Given the toxicity described above, such storage could prove difficult when small children might have access to the prepared solution.
Finally, the use of the product requires first carving out the seeds and pulp of the pumpkin interior, then immersing the pumpkin in the prepared solution for a period of 12 to 24 hours prior to finishing the carving of the pumpkin. Many families have a tradition of performing all of the steps of carving a pumpkin together in one evening. The manner of use of the Pumpkin Dunk'N.RTM. product would require families to break up those steps over at least two days. This would further create the requirement of preparing and cleaning up a carving site multiple times; an additional hassle given the traditional messiness of pumpkin carving.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a relatively safe and efficient method of preventing or retarding environmental degradation of carved vegetable material, such as carved pumpkins. There is thus a need in the industry for a relatively safe, easy to apply composition and method for application of the composition to a carved vegetable material which are operative to prevent or retard environmental degradation thereof. Moreover, there is a need for an efficient method of formulating such a composition. The present invention satisfies these needs and provides these benefits.